Sterile surgical glove dispenser

ABSTRACT

An organized dispenser for sterile surgical gloves comprising separate compartments within an enclosure for receiving a supply of like sized packages of sterile gloves. The compartments are separated by dividers having notches for facilitating the grasping of a single package of gloves and the enclosure is provided with flanges for allowing the single package of gloves to be pulled from the enclosure while retaining the remaining portion of the supply of gloves within the enclosure. The dispenser is provided with a selectable mounting arrangement, and with sets of labels for marking the compartments for easy identification of the size and type of gloves contained within each of the compartments.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

The present application derives priority from U.S. Provisional PatentApplication 60/473,656 filed May 28, 2003.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to article dispensers and, more particularly, to adevice for holding sterile pre-packaged surgical gloves in separatecompartments grouped by size and for facilitating the removal of asingle pair of surgical gloves for use in rendering medical treatment.

2. Description of the Background

Medical care providers routinely wear protective gloves to reduce thelikelihood of contamination and to reduce the transmission of disease.In order to protect patients and themselves, medical care providersfrequently change gloves, disposing of a used pair and replacing themwith a fresh pair. Medical care facilities keep a large supply of gloveswhere they will be readily available to providers rendering patientcare.

Non-sterile examination gloves are typically provided in boxes filledwith a number of individual gloves. The box is often provided with aperforated panel, in the shape of a slot, which can be removed to allowaccess to the contents through a slot shaped opening. As gloves areremoved, the type tissue box. Examination gloves are provided in anumber of different size categories (typically Small, Medium and Large)to allow a medical care provider to obtain gloves reasonablyapproximating their exact glove size. Examination gloves are alsoprovided with different characteristics such as latex free gloves orgloves without powder.

Simple wall-mount racks have been designed to hold boxes of examinationgloves and to save space for other medical equipment. The racks securelyhold the box while leaving the slot exposed for easy access. The racksare designed to hold one or more boxes and accommodate boxes ofdifferent sizes so that different gloves may be made available on thesame rack.

Medical care providers also use sterile surgical gloves for examinationand treatment when a sterile environment must be preserved. Thesesurgical gloves are sterilized by ethylene oxide gas, or gammaradiation. Each pair is typically folded and packed in a paper walletfor presentation to the surgeon. The paper wallets are packed in a paperpouch which is sealed from all sides. Typically, 50 or so pouches arepacked in a retail box. The boxes are labeled by size, and sterilegloves are typically provided in numbered sizes and half sizes (5.5, 6,6.5, 7, 7.5, 8, 8.5, 9, etc.) so that procedures requiring a high levelof manual dexterity may be performed in well fitted gloves. Most medicalfacilities will keep a supply of sterile gloves in sizes and half sizesrunning from 5.5 to 9, so that eight different glove sizes are availableto the medical care providers. The racks used for examination gloves arenot suitable for sterile gloves because a rack for eight boxes would beunduly large and impractical. In addition, the sterile gloves must bekept in the sterile package until they are used, so the method ofpulling gloves through a slot shaped opening is not feasible.Nevertheless, in some settings such as emergency surgery, it isessential that a supply of sterile gloves be readily available andunambiguously marked so that a nurse or medical care provider selectsthe most appropriate glove size with minimal time and effort.

Thus, there remains a need for an organized holder for sterile gloveswhich will allow storage of a supply of sterile gloves (removed fromtheir boxes) in segregated sizes and half sizes, and which allows anursing assistant to quickly identify the correct gloves for a givensituation, easily grasp and remove one pre-packaged pair of gloveswithout disrupting other packages of gloves remaining in the holder. Theorganized dispenser of sterile gloves should also allow convenientrestocking of the supply of sterile gloves.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is, therefore, a primary object of the present invention to provide aholder for sterile surgical gloves having means to facilitate thegrasping of a single sealed package containing a pair of gloves andhaving means to retain other pairs of gloves within the dispenser toprevent inadvertent removal.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an organizeddispenser for sterile gloves which provides means for easily restockingthe dispenser with additional packages containing pairs of gloves.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a color-codeddispenser for sterile surgical gloves having separate labeledcompartments for unambiguous identification of the correct size and typeof gloves needed.

In accordance with the stated objects there is provided a dispenser forpre-packaged pairs of sterile surgical gloves comprising a generallyrectangular back and a plurality of forwardly extending generallyrectangular sides forming an enclosure having at least one openexposure, the open exposure being bounded by a generally rectangularperimeter rim. A plurality of dividers is attached to and extendsbetween opposite sides for dividing the enclosure into separatecompartments, to receive and hold packages containing sterile gloves.All of said separate compartments are arranged to communicate with theopen exposure. Each of said dividers is provided with a notch in aportion proximate to said open exposure to facilitate grasping a packageof sterile gloves within the compartment. The perimeter rim of the openexposure includes inwardly-protruding flanges along opposing sides ofwhich block the margins of said open exposure, thereby retainingpackages of sterile gloves within said compartments and preventinginadvertent removal of multiple packages. Each individual package ofsterile gloves may be removed from the enclosure by grasping the frontof the package (which remains clear by virtue of the notch in thepartition), and by pulling the package outward such that the packagebends to pass between said flanges and through the open exposure. Theunderlying package of sterile gloves, within the compartments, will bemoved outward by frictional force, but will not bend to pass betweensaid flanges and will remain inside the enclosure for ready access.

The dispenser of the present invention may be stocked with packages ofgloves by removing a stack of gloves from the retail carton and bypushing the stack of packages between the flanges and into one of thecompartments. The flanges retain the packages within the compartmentswithout the need for any manually operated closure. It is intended thateach compartment contain like sized gloves, in packages and that thedispenser should be constructed with a number of compartments matchingthe number of separate sizes of gloves needed for the staff of medicalproviders in a user's facility. Typically, sterile gloves are availablein half sizes running from 5.5 to 9; therefore, compartments areprovided for each size. The dispenser may be positioned in a vertical ora horizontal orientation at the preference of the user. A set of labelsis provided to mark the compartments with individual labels indicatingthe size and type of gloves contained therein. The labels may be adheredto the perimeter rim in either a horizontal or vertical configuration toprovide for both vertical and horizontal orientation of the dispenser.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention willbecome more apparent from the following detailed description of thepreferred embodiment and certain modifications thereof when takentogether with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side perspective view of a sterile surgical glove dispenseraccording to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the sterile surgical glove dispenser as inFIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a back view of the sterile surgical glove dispenser as inFIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 4 is a side perspective view of a sterile surgical glove dispenseraccording to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a top assembly drawing of a unitary plastic sheet which it canbe folded inward to form side panels 11 diagonal to back panel 10.

FIG. 6 is a front assembly drawings of the unitary plastic sheet of FIG.5.

FIG. 7 is a front assembly drawing of an exemplary divider 13 used inthe embodiment of FIGS. 4-6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention is a dispenser for sterile surgical gloves havinga generally rectangular shape. FIGS. 1-3 are, respectively, sideperspective, front, and back views of a sterile surgical glove dispenseraccording to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

The dispenser includes two generally rectangular substantially rigidside panel sections 11, as well as a top and bottom panel section 21,all joined to a conforming back panel section 10. The panel sections 11,10 and 21 are adjacent and joined, one to another, the side 11, and topand bottom rigid panel sections 21 projecting forward to form anenclosure 12, having an open exposure opposite said back panel section10. The open exposure is preferably of rectangular shape, havingdimensions of approximately 24 inches by 6 inches, and is bordered byperimeter flanges 14 protruding inward along the sides of the openexposure, along the forward edges of said side panels 11. One or twopair of hangar holes 17 are formed through the back panel section 10 toallow hanging on a wall, if desired.

A plurality of dividers 13 extend between the two opposite side panels11 of the enclosure 12 adjacent to the perimeter flanges 14, andextending toward the back panel 10, in order to segregate the sterilesurgical gloves into compartments.

The enclosure 12 may be constructed from various pattern designs and thedividers 13 may be positioned within the enclosure 12 by a variety offastening devices, as will be described. A preferred constructionpattern inclusive of fastening means is as illustrated in FIG. 4,wherein the back 10 and side panels 11 are integrally molded of a singlesheet of acrylic, or another suitable plastic, with a series of slots 38in each of the back 10 and side panel 11 sections to capture thedividers 13. The sheet is formed or scored with hinges running from topto bottom by which the unitary plastic sheet can be folded inward todelineate the back 10 and side panels 11.

FIGS. 5 and 6 are front and top assembly drawings of the unitary plasticsheet (post-mold) inclusive of the integrally-formed pair of parallel 90degree notches 29 running from top to bottom by which it can be foldedinward to bring the side panels 11 diagonal to the back 10 panel. Inaddition, a pair of opposing slots 31 are formed from top to bottom inthe unitary plastic sheet for insertion of plastic strips (not shown)which serve as the perimeter flanges 14. Alternatively, the slots 31 mayalso be 90 degree notches running from top to bottom to allow inwardfolding to form the perimeter flanges 14, which are then bonded at a 90degree angle. The integrally molded plastic sheet is also formed with aseries of slots 38 in each of the back 10 and side panel 11 sections tocapture the dividers 13, as will be described. Exemplary dimensions (ininches) are shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 for reference.

An exemplary divider 13 is shown in FIG. 7, which in this embodiment mayalso serve as both top and bottom panel 13 (as in FIG. 1) as well.Divider 13 may also be molded from acrylic, or another suitable plasticas shown, with a plurality of tabs 34 formed along the back and sides tofit into the slots 38 formed in the back panel 10 and the opposite sidepanels 11, such that the dividers 13 are secured therein. The dividers13 are also formed with frontal notches 16 to facilitate withdrawal ofthe gloves. The dividers 13 may be snapped into and held in place byinserting the tabs 34 into the slots 38 formed in the back panel 10 andthe opposite side panels 11, such that the notch 16 faces away from theback panel 10.

Alternatively, the back 10, side 11, and top/bottom panels 21 may beintegrally molded in closed form to form enclosure 12, and the slots 38can be eliminated by integrally molding, heat-welding, bonding orotherwise attaching dividers 13 inside the enclosure 12.

Returning to FIGS. 1-3, the open notches 16 of dividers 13 are locatedproximate to the open exposure, to facilitate grasping of a package 19of sterile gloves, as shown in FIG. 1. The dividers 13 divide theenclosure into a plurality of separate compartments, which communicatewith the open exposure. It is intended that packages 19 of sterilegloves be placed within the compartments to be used as needed inrendering medical care. It is preferred that each compartment be sizedto receive and hold an adequate supply of one particular size of glove,as shown in FIG. 1, and that the number of compartments be selected tomatch the number of separate sizes or types of gloves normally kept foruse by medical care providers. In the illustrated embodiment, thisincludes seven compartments for the following sizes and half sizes; 6,6.5, 7, 7.5, 8, 8.5, and 9. As described above, typical packages 19 ofsterile gloves come in a pouch having a generally rectangular front andback. It is intended that the packages 19 of gloves are to be stackedand placed in said compartments with the fronts and backs of thepackages parallel to said dividers 13.

Opposing side flanges 14 are attached to the opposing side panels 11along a portion of the perimeter rim (e.g., inside the notches 31 ofFIG. 5) and obstruct the margins of the open exposure for retaining thepackages 19 of sterile gloves within the enclosure 12. In the preferredembodiment, the flanges 14 protrude inwardly into the open exposure,from opposite sides 11, across all of the compartments. This preventsunwanted packages 19 of sterile gloves from being inadvertently removedand yet does not restrict access, through the notch 16 of the dividers13, for grasping one selected package 19 of sterile gloves.

One skilled in the art will understand that the enclosure 12 may beconstructed from various other pattern designs, such as by discretepanels of plastic, joined by adhesive, heat-welding, screws or otherfasteners. The dividers 13 may be positioned within the enclosure 12 byinner guide rails or shelf supports (rather than tabs 34), and/or may befixed in place with other known fasteners or adhesive.

As seen in FIG. 1, labels 15 preferably of the peel-and-stick(self-adhesive) variety are provided with markings indicating glovesizes from 6 to 9 (or other half sizes as desired). In addition, eachunit is color-coded to match the color codes of the particular type ofglove being dispensed therefrom, such as Nitrile, latex, powdered andnon-powdered, etc. This way, multiple dispensers according to thepresent invention may be employed (stacked or side-by-side) to dispensemultiple types of gloves, with each type of glove dispenser beingreadily identifiable by color code. Alternatively, labels 15 may beprovided in various colors so that glove sizes and types may beidentified according to a color coding key according to the preferenceof the user.

It is intended that the enclosure 12 may be positioned so that it restson any of its side, top or bottom panels 11, so that the longerdimension of the enclosure 12 is in either a vertical or an horizontalorientation. The enclosure 12 is shown in the vertical orientation inFIG's 1-3. The labels 15 indicating glove sizes may be attached ineither vertical or horizontal orientation to match that of thedispenser.

Alternatively, it is possible to mount the enclosure 12 on any verticalwall via hangar holes 17, again so that the longer dimension of theenclosure 12 is in either a vertical or an horizontal orientation. Thehangar holes 17 facilitate wall mounting of the dispenser, in order tosave space for other supplies and equipment. The version of theinvention depicted in FIG. 3 shows four generally circular mountingholes 17 located proximate to the corners of the back 10 with each ofthe mounting holes 17 having two integral slots extending away from acentral aperture, the slots being perpendicular to each other. It isintended that two or more fasteners, such as screws, be driven into awall in appropriate positions to receive the screw heads within two ormore of the mounting holes 17 and such that the dispenser may be movedparallel to the wall a distance so that the screw shafts pass into theslots to retain the dispenser in position depending from the screws. Thescrews may be positioned so that the dispenser may be wall mounted invertical or horizontal orientation, at the preference of the user.

Packages 19 of sterile gloves may be sorted and stacked by size or type.A stack of like size or type of gloves may be oriented parallel withsaid dividers 13 and pushed into the compartment matching the glove sizeor type, such that the packages 19 bend to allow passage between saidflanges 14 and into the compartment. Once inside the compartment,resilience causes the packages 19 to resume a rectangular shape and theflanges 14 stop the packages 19 from sliding out of the compartment.Each compartment may be stocked with a supply of sterile gloves in thisfashion, without the need for manipulating any latch or closuremechanism.

After stocking the dispenser, a nursing assistant can readily identifythe appropriate size or type of sterile gloves by viewing the labelsmarking the compartments. A package 19 of sterile gloves, within acompartment, may then be grasped, through a notch 16 in a divider 13,and pulled out through the open exposure, bending the package 19 toallow passage between the flanges 14. The underlying package 19 ofgloves, within the compartment, is moved forward by frictional force butthe flanges 14 stop this and other unwanted packages 19 of gloves frompassing. The other packages 19 of gloves remain stacked in thecompartment.

Having now fully set forth the preferred embodiment and certainmodifications of the concept underlying the present invention, variousother embodiments as well as certain variations and modifications of theembodiments herein shown and described will obviously occur to thoseskilled in the art upon becoming familiar with said underlying concept.It is to be understood, therefore, that the invention may be practicedotherwise than as specifically set forth in the appended claims.

1. A dispenser for sterile surgical gloves comprising: a generallyrectangular rigid back; a plurality of generally rectangular rigidsides, each joined to an edge of said back and projecting forward toform an enclosure having an open exposure, said open exposure beingopposite said back and defined by a generally rectangular perimeter rim;a plurality of dividers attached to and extending between opposite sidesfor dividing said enclosure into a plurality of compartments for holdingpackages of sterile surgical gloves, each of said plurality ofcompartments communicating with said open exposure; and a plurality offlanges attached to said opposite sides along a portion of saidperimeter rim and extending across a portion of said open exposure, forretaining said packages of sterile surgical gloves within said enclosureand for allowing one of said packages of sterile surgical gloves to bepulled between said flanges.
 2. The dispenser according to claim 1,further comprising a set of labels indicating a size or type of sterilesurgical gloves, for marking said compartments with easily identifiableindicators.
 3. The dispenser according to claim 1, further comprising aset of labels displaying varied colors for marking said compartmentswith easily identifiable indicators.
 4. The dispenser according to claim1, wherein said rigid back is formed with a plurality of mounting holes.5. The dispenser according to claim 1, wherein said back and at leasttwo of said plurality of rigid sides are formed with a plurality ofslots.
 6. The dispenser according to claim 5, wherein said dividers areattached to said back and said at least two rigid sides via saidplurality of slots.
 7. The dispenser according to claim 1, wherein eachof said plurality of dividers is formed with a notch proximate said openexposure to facilitate grasping one of said packages of sterile surgicalgloves.
 8. The dispenser according to claim 1, wherein said back, sides,dividers, and flanges are fabricated of discrete panels of plastic. 9.The dispenser according to claim 8, wherein said back, sides, dividers,and flanges are attached with fasteners.
 10. The dispenser according toclaim 8, wherein said back, sides, dividers, and flanges are attachedwith adhesive.
 11. The dispenser according to claim 1, wherein saidback, sides, dividers, and flanges are fabricated of a plastic material.12. The dispenser according to claim 11, wherein said plastic material,in the vicinity of each of said compartments is colored with a differentcolor, for indicating the size or type of said sterile surgical glovesheld within each of said compartments.
 13. The dispenser according toclaim 11, wherein said back, sides, dividers, and flanges are attachedwith fasteners.
 14. The dispenser according to claim 11, wherein saidback, sides, dividers, and flanges are attached with adhesive.
 15. Thedispenser according to claim 1, wherein said back, sides, and flangesare integrally molded from a plastic material.
 16. The dispenseraccording to claim 15, wherein said dividers are fabricated of a plasticmaterial and integrally molded with said back, sides, and flanges.